Personal Narrative: Coral Reef

at Le Mourillon, rocks covered with green, brown and silver forests of algae and fishes unknown to me, swimming in crystalline water…Sometimes we are lucky enough to know that our lives have been changed, to discard the old, embrace the new, and run headlong down an immutable course. It happened to me at Le Mourillon on that summer's day, when my eyes were opened on the sea. (“Encyclopedia.com,”

It is a fabulous place: when the tide is in, a wave-churned basin, creamy with foam, whipped by the combers that roll in from the whistling buoy on the reef. But when the tide goes out the little water world becomes quiet and lovely. The sea is very clear and the bottom becomes fantastic with hurrying, fighting, feeding, breeding animals”(57)

The ocean strokes land with calm and reassuring hands, lacing water with sand and lifting seashells in its wake. My heart urges me forward, to walk among the peace, to capture the sweet smell of sea salt. My brain reasons with the rest of my body. Turning sharply from the churning water I force my feet to leave the warm imprint they have grown to love

The coral reef is a vital part of our ocean. Coral also is a big part of life for people who live near coastal regions. We need to identify the causes of coral degradation, and find ways to repair and keep the reef healthy. Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on earth and are essential to the plant. Coral reefs only account for less than 1% of the oceans tidal area, but are still home to 25% of all marine creatures like crustaceans, reptiles, seaweeds, bacteria fungi, and over 4,000 species of fish (cite). Although the reef is very important to the natural order of the planet, it is also an economic powerhouse with yearly global value of 375 billion dollars and it feeds over 500 million people around the

The waters of Bora Bora were a translucent blue, where you can observe all the unique creatures and fish. I was approached by a young, sunkissed, indigenous man from Bora Bora who provided me with a tropical beverage and escorted me to my resort. The island’s resorts sat upon the turquoise waters. Once I reached my room, I changed into my bathing suit and vaulted off my deck into the water. While I was in the water, a handsome young man drifted in a boat alongside of me. He lowered his arm down and conveyed me onto the boat beside him. He guided me to the other side of the island where we swam with dolphins and scuba dived. As the waves were swaying me from side to side, I couldn’t envision a more superior day.

The sand scorches our feet like steaks on a fiery grill. I had brought the Rock along to join me for a surfing lesson. We snatch our wetsuits and our boards and hit the waves. The second the ocean water hits my feet, it sends a chilling sensation through my entire body. The polar water on this hot day feels like a steamy shower after a long chilly day, calming and relaxing. The waves are monstrous and intimidating, however, I seem to ride them effortlessly like I had done it a million times before. I dash past the Rock and ride under a curling wave. Hidden in the waves are vibrantly colored fish swimming in schools. The water is translucent, so much that one can simply look at the ocean floor, and see the coral and seaweed that is

For my extra credit, I decided to go on a coral reef field trip with my family to the Florida Keys. I asked my aunt if she could take us on her boat and since we had all of the snorkeling equipment we didn’t have to make a stop at any tours. We anchored at a beach near Key Largo, where mangles surrounded it. The location was perfect for the project. The water was nice, crystal clear, and I was able to see marine life. Most of the organisms I saw live on sunlit surface seawater such as little fishes, coral reefs, seagrass, and even a Two-Spined sea star.

The world is home to many living things, the majority of life on earth though is living in the ocean with a percent of 94%. Since the beginning of the 1800s, man has been mapping the great oceans and what’s in them, but no more than 90 years ago have we started to look deeper. The ocean hasn't been completely explored, but with the advances in ocean exploration technology, scuba diving’s, and with those finds of strange creatures and treasures along the way.

Since being old enough to understand, I knew that I wanted to help animals. I wanted to make a difference in the world, even if it’s just a fraction of a difference. It started off when I was just four years old, wanting to be a vet, taking care of animals who needed help and were abused. Seeing animals in pain broke my heart from a young age, and I was constantly dragging my mom into animal shelters trying to convince her we needed a dog or a cat. This morphed into me wanting to be a marine biologist, helping and studying endangered marine life. I love animals and want to help them as much as possible, but at that young of an age, I was still blind to a different kind of suffering. The people.

Pretend you are about to go scuba diving in the ocean. You jump in the water and begin to sink down. As you start surveying the coral reefs around you, something catches your eye. The coral has turned white, and no longer moves with life. This whiteness seems to have spread over a large area of the reef. You no longer see the colorful branches swaying in the current, or the schools of tropical fish swimming through the leaves. This death-ridden reef will never have the same life it once had.

Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination will take you everywhere.” This was true in my case, as the creative imagery in my mind channeled me to indulge in exploration. At the age of five, I believed that in my backyard swimming pool lurked all the mysterious creatures of the ocean and in the deep end, great whites stalking for their next meal. My vivid thoughts increased my fascination for the ocean as well as my instilled fear of the great white shark. In order to be able to fully appreciate aquatic animals and achieve a sense of personal exploration, I plunged directly into the water with the great whites last summer in Gansbaai, South Africa.

Palau Coral Reef Coral reefs are one of the most complex and colorful tropical ecosystems, rivaling rain forests in their richness of life. Coral reef organisms build massive & intricate physical structures that are home to some of the most fascinating plants and animals in the world. Their extraordinary beauty captivates visitors and their productivity provides a wealth of resources for local communities and the world. What is a coral reef?

“Coral reefs represent some of the world’s most spectacular beauty spots, but they are also the foundation of marine life: without them many of the seas most exquisite species will not survive.” (Sheherazade Goldsmith) Imagine scuba diving in the glistening coasts of the Philippines, swimming swiftly near the vibrant coral reefs with splashes of red, orange, and green. Submerged by the beauty of the underwater world, fishes of all species come inspect their new visitor while you watch in awe at this fantasy world. However, all of a sudden you see a huge wave rushing towards you, you try to swim away from it but. Boom! You get hit by wave, a bit dazed you descend quickly to the top of the ocean. Then you notice a vast amount of dead

Wading through the water with my own school of flying fish felt good. Safe and sound while filling up on plankton. That was, until I spotted something shiny. Swimming away from my group, I made my way to the light reflecting source, only to find that it was a metal something. Maybe debri from a ship, I don’t know.

Life is beautiful, like the coral reef, but life’s beauty is often taken before it can be truly appreciated; which might be why my mind and the coral reef are both dying. I find myself dreaming of a clear blue when all that is left is an oil drenched abyss. My mind can relate to the sticky black drudge covering the surface, slowly poisoning the inside; killing the beauty and releasing a horrible dark truth. My children might not get to stroll down the Santa Cruz boardwalk, and if they do, their children might not be able to. I cannot imagine life without a beach to lose our thoughts under a secret keeping sand. Even if I could imagine a life without the ocean, it wouldn’t be a life sustaining one.